Make sure the windows and doors on your projects arrive before Santa does, urges Quickslide.
It happens every year: Everyone wants their nice new extension/loft/garage conversion/garden room finished in time for when Auntie Doris/Uncle Fred/cousin Phil and his snooty wife and…breath…the in-laws come round at Christmas (social distancing permitting naturally) and, of course, that is when everything goes wrong…everything, right?
And, whilst I can’t do very much at all about any other building products, I can offer a few choice words of advice on how you can make sure that the windows and doors are not the things that hold you up; follow my few words of wisdom and you won’t be pinning a tarp over the hole that should be filled with the shiny new flush sash in the dining room window.
Of course, the most important advice is: getting your orders in early – but if you are reading this now, you really are up against it. But all is not lost! Even with the Covid-Surge – every window and door fabricator worth their salt is opeating at anything up to 50 per cent over capacity as I write this. Most can still sort your standard frames out in time for you to be Santa rather than the turkey.
Follow these few Golden Rules:
- Get on with it! You are close to last orders even if you are reading this at the beginning of the month, so get the orders in NOW! People need to get out of this ASAP mindset, especially during the current period when product shortages and simple, sheer demand, have totally altered ‘normal’. But you should be OK for standard white and stock colours within a couple of weeks; the further you go off-piste, the less likely you are to get them in time for the festivities.
- Measure twice, order once. You don’t have wriggle room at this stage so make sure you get it right first time. Your skilled order rep will spot errors and omissions but be as thorough as you can possibly be. We don’t have time to do the same thing twice.
- Don’t make assumptions. Check that your regular supplier can make your windows in time. We’re running three shifts a day now to maintain a sensible lead time for our regular clients, and other suppliers will be making similar arrangements. Before you commit to your customer, make sure you can actually get the windows and doors that you need.
- One Stop Shop! Make sure the fabricator you buy from has everything in house because shipping stuff out to be finished will take time. We control as many processes as possible in house, by doing our own foiling, painting and glass unit production. That means we’re able to keep the lead times down.
- Be nice! Good relationships with suppliers always count because when the chips are down, you need them more than they need you. Don’t rant, be understanding, always pay on time and work together to find a solution, all of which goes towards a mutually satisfying relationship that will last for years. Mind you, if you haven’t been like that all year, a tin of Quality Street just won’t cut it now.
Have a Great Christmas and see you in 2021!
For further information on Quickslide visit https://www.quickslide.co.uk/
